Talk:Birmingham Cross-City Line

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It's ridiculous to have two seemingly identical lists of links, going to differenet targets - and it's contrary to the W3C WAI guidelines on accessibility. I'm not sure, if the non- tabular list cannot be removed, how to deal with this, but the page as it currently stands is a mess. Andy Mabbett 13:51, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

The sidebar gives links to the individual stations on the line, whereas the bulleted list links to the towns. This is the same format used on all lines listed at List of railway lines in Great Britain. Our Phellap 23:18, 15 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Route diagram

I've added a route diagram to this page. Unfortunately the text is a little small, so I'll try to produce a better image. I'd like the map to appear alongside the sidebar table of stations - does anyone know how to do this?

I've also put the stations back from north to south, to match the diagram, and the Chase line. --Tivedshambo 20:25, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

Updated the map - it's now a bit more readable, though I may try to improve it next week.--Tivedshambo 14:31, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Historical train types & new stations

(Feels weird titling it as such for something that happened in my lifetime, but..)

Whoever wrote this forgot the electric trains that formed the stopgap between the diesels and the 323's... I clearly remember, when using this route to get to school in the mid 90s (wylde green to sutton - one stop only, but about the longest one on the line), we started out riding rather decrepit navy blue four-carriage jobs - with an enormous pantograph arrangement halfway down, all the accelerative force of a gentle cough (despite massive gear noise from the motors), and the old school steam loco coach type access arrangement, with one door per pair of seats... that was impossible to open with the interior latch and was much easier used by opening the window and twisting the exterior handle, usually before the train had come to a complete halt (despite the vicious brakes).

Good times... the hard-charging, automatic door 323s actually seemed to be a bit killjoy in comparison, great machines though they are. Shame the company went under.

Also... where in the world would a station in Mere Green or Raddlebarn Road be sensibly located? In the former, I'm not entirely sure where the railway line goes between four oaks and butlers lane, but i know it does it in a deep cutting, and there's barely time for the train to make it up to maybe 30mph before slowing again (similar to the gap between wylde green and chester road, where you can successfully get on at CR station after a spirited drive if you're late to WG and see the train pulling out.. i.e. Mere Green itself is already easy walking distance from either existing station, and not much more than a 6-carriage length away). I have similar reservations about the Selly Oak idea; anyone who isn't emphysemic or terminally obese can make it between the hospital to/from SO station in about 5 minutes with ease, which certainly doesnt justify the great cost of building another stop so close to the existing one, and the service slowdown and line congestion it would cause. I call bunk on this idea - it may have been something idly tossed around a Centro boardroom where the author was present, but the practicalities of it are laughable. Re-tunnelling around birmingham centre seems a more profitable way to blow your millions (made a lot more possible now by redevelopment and park zoning than may have been thought 10 years ago).

What of the occasionally surfacing idea to improve capacity by returning passenger services to the freight rail line that passes through Sutton Park, New Hall et al, including redevelopment of the (now abandoned) mail sorting office that adjoined the line? Even today, the 323s can get shockingly cramped around 5.30pm... something definately needs to be done (though it's an economist's dream in terms of capacity utilisation and efficiency in that state) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.36.128.25 (talk • contribs).

The Butlers Lane-Four Oaks section of the line runs roughly parallel to Lichfield Road, cutting under it about a hundred metres before the Methodist Church. A station at Mere Green would be sited below Belwell Lane. It's at least a mile between Four Oaks and Butlers Lane stations, and neither is really suitable for Mere Green, so in terms of convenience for shoppers it might not be a bad idea to place a small station there. Martyn Smith 21:16, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Question

On the Belwell Lane bridge on the right hand side when travelling towards Lichfield there is/was a piece of graffiti which reads (or read, I don't know if it's still there): 'Jailed For Telling The Truth'. Anybody know what it's about? Martyn Smith 21:14, 28 August 2006 (UTC)